Unlocking the Iron Heart
by Okinawa Angel
Summary: Sequel to “Controlling the Iron Heart”. After Sasori dies, Moriko is brought back to the Leaf Village and made *cough* forced into a ninja. However, what exactly did her mysterious jutsu do to Sasori’s body? Kakashi/OC, Sasori/OC
1. Warm Welcome, Cold Heart

Greetings readers! A shoutout to my muses Asuma, Kushina, Zetsu_Akatsuki, Uchiha_Curse, and Konan!  
Please R&R and vote in my update poll.  
I do not own Naruto or "Cold as Ice" by Foreigner.

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This story is the sequel to 'Controlling the Iron Heart'. Please read or the events that follow will make little to no sense. Thank you - you can access this story through my profile.

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Chapter 1: Warm Welcome, Cold Heart

_**Song of the Chapter:  
Cold as Ice – Foreigner  
Reason: She sacrificed it all in the Leaf Village's interest but did not count on being so cruelly affected.**_

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Six months after the whole being captured by Akatsuki fiasco left Moriko feeling empty. Despite the Leaf Village headband she wore, she was nonetheless lightheaded. Regardless of the constant escort she had, she never felt more alone. She heard a lock click and frowned until she saw the time; 4:15 A.M. She gathered the fabrics together that had been sitting together in her room and nodded as the Copy Ninja let himself in via the key she had. "Morning Moriko-chan." He embraced her but she could never move her arms to fit around his body anymore; she felt like lead. "Perk up; we have an early morning mission." She nodded and grabbed an iron supplement as she walked over to her weapon supply.

When she was captured, Tsunade put her through so many psychological tests and loyalty tests but they never got close to denting her emotionless façade. When Moriko returned and saw the state of her father, she smirked and told the Leaf Village he deserved it for attempting to go against Sasori-sama's orders. She had not spoken to her step mother and the few times there were family gatherings, she remained silent and merely poked at her food. When she took ninja tests to see where she would score, she acted as if she really did not care but did she had no choice; she simply was too dangerous to let fester on her own. She had barely passed into jounin rank but Tsunade frowned. She knew that she was hiding the kekkei genkai and all the advanced training that the Akatsuki most likely taught her but there was no way to force her to simply admit it all.

Moriko ran on top of roofs with ease keeping pace with Kakashi. He had been amazed at what training could get her to improve so suddenly and to such an extent. They both went through the Hokage's windows and Tsunade sighed. "Why can't you all use the damn door like everyone else?"

They shrugged and she groaned. "What is it Hokage-sama?" Tsunade bit her lip as she looked at them.

"We have heard that Akatsuki may be nearby around the borders. The two of you are to go on patrol duty." Moriko's eyes had a faint glimmer of something that Kakashi could almost call hope but what was actually there was more along the lines of the thought of painful memories.

"Apprehension, torture, interrogation, or a combination of the three?" Moriko asked in a deadpan manner that surprised Tsunade and Kakashi.

"Uh… apprehension and then Ibiki can interrogate them for information later." Tsunade was most apprehensive about the coldness she displayed upon hearing the Akatsuki. If she was not friendly with them and she certainly disliked the Leaf Village, just who could she get along with anymore?

Kakashi and Moriko nodded and Tsunade handed them a couple of masks. "S ranked Hokage-sama?"

She nodded and looked out the window watching the rain pour over the Leaf Village. "Yes; your identities are precious plus the fact that you two are valuable ninja to our cause. We cannot afford to have someone else encounter you." They nodded but as Moriko placed her ANBU mask on, she felt a surge of guilt.

The first and last time she wore an ANBU mask was at the Rock Village where she managed to trick Shikamaru into believing she was a Rock ANBU. The memory weighed heavily as it signified the beginnings of her willing betrayal especially when her capturers were willing to let her go. As she placed the mask over her face, she felt a tear tug itself out of her eyes and roll down her check. She looked up at Kakashi who nodded. "Let's go Moriko-chan."

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Hidan and Kakuzu watched as Zetsu carried the body of the two tailed cat demon away. Hidan finished his ritual and upon giving his proper respects to Jashin, he stood up and looked at Kakuzu. "The Fire Country is next." Hidan looked at Kakuzu with a mysterious expression.

"Is there a way to communicate with Moriko-chan a way to get her out of there?" Kakuzu sighed and looked at his partner with irritation.

"She was taken by them and most likely guarded heavily. It is unlikely that she will be out of the Leaf Village yet alone in a location where we can easily obtain her without attracting attention." He looked down at Hidan's robe. Stitches were still visible from the last time she fixed it and Hidan refused to throw the garment away even though he just ruined it. Kakuzu felt a few of his hearts tug thinking about his business partner. "She most likely is in a happier place where she is surrounded by her beloved Kakashi-kun." Hidan frowned and remembered something.

"After she did her training with the Uchiha, she stopped adding –kun to his name. I wonder what the fuck he did to her with Tsukiyomi." Kakuzu's hearts almost stopped at that moment.

"He broke her he said… but to break a woman who already was loyal to us… He…" The miser's face turned red. "No wonder she was according to Zetsu, a blubbering mess when the Leaf Ninja found her sobbing against Sasori's body. She lost the person who comforted her the last time she cracked. That girl's heart is likely shattered into little pieces now and scattered in the wind." Hidan looked at his partner with dawning comprehension.

"He planted the image of her being raped? Even I wouldn't dare do sick shit like that!" Kakuzu nodded and glanced at Hidan whose face looked oddly angelic when concern was in his eyes.

"If the Copy Ninja was the one to pick up the pieces and make her happy again, we should not shatter her again. There is only so much insanity a mind can take before it goes completely ballistic." Hidan reluctantly nodded; before Sasori died he had gotten used to her helping him with his rituals and in his honest opinion, she would be a 'damn good Jashinist' and it did not hurt that she looked like 'walking sex'.

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A few days later…

Asuma frowned as they came across the Fire Temple is total disarray. What was worse was hearing that his friend Chiriku had been taken for a bounty by two Akatsuki members. "This is not good; we need to check all bounty stations. Thankfully there is one nearby." Shikamaru nodded and looked at the monks.

"What is the description of the two Akatsuki members?" The monks looked at each other before one of them came forward.

"One of them had silver hair and was very foul mouthed; his name is Hidan. The other one is quieter and seems to like money a lot; his name is Kakuzu. But… they both talked about a woman as they were leaving." All the Leaf shinobi's ears perked up. "Some woman named Moriko." Shikamaru's eyes widened.

"Shit…"

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A few hours later…

Hidan was sitting outside mumbling. Of all the places for a bounty station, they had to go to the smelly bathroom… He heard footsteps behind and mumbled. "Serious Kakuzu, what took you?" Hearing weapons rushing towards him, he unleashed his scythe and its cable to deflect the projectiles away. Just as he did so, two Leaf shinobi struck at his sides while his shadow was bound. Hidan rolled his eyes. "Who the hell are you lot?" He smirked seeing Asuma however. "Hmm… a bounty for Kakuzu and I have to go back into that shithole again," he groaned.

The Leaf shinobi were happy that if they did not kill him, they at least captured an Akatsuki member but the joy did not last long as Shikamaru went flying through the air. Kakuzu's punch definitely connected. Just as they gathered together, the four Leaf ninja cheered up feeling two more friendly ninja. Kakashi stopped Hidan's scythe from connecting with Asuma but just as it was about to scrape his cheek, the scythe was pushed away by a katana. Kakashi's mask had been shattered in trying to help Asuma but Moriko's stayed on. She looked towards Kakashi apprehensively. "We need to take them down."

Kakuzu smirked as he regarded the masked woman. "Moriko-chan, your stance still is off. You have grown lazy in the Leaf Village haven't you?" The other ninja were surprised he could tell, but Moriko took her mask off and smirked.

"Was I that obvious Kakuzu-san? I hope you have been well. Hidan-kun, your damn cloak needs sewed again?" He laughed as he pulled out a scroll. Moriko began a complicated series of hand signs and chanted.

"We brought the scroll also." She smiled and on her last symbol, Hidan tossed her the scroll. She ripped it open and her chakra lit the unraveled scroll with a mysterious glowing handwriting. A poof later and the Leaf ninja's eyes widened.

"Long time no see Sasori-sama." Moriko bowed and smiled as Sasori walked towards her, his Akatsuki cloak billowing in the air and Kakashi's eyes were wide in disbelief.

"Hmm… the jutsu worked but there are some minor difficulties." The redhead reached forward with his hand and traced Moriko's cheek. Instinctively she leaned into his touch and hummed contently. He looked at her eyes and smiled warmly. "For know Moriko-san, I can feel." She smiled as the puppet master leaned forward to swiftly claim her lips. She put her arms around him to respond to the kiss and all around, there was mixed reactions. Kakashi's looked like a mixture of him wanting to puke and murderous intent.

"Sasori-sama… I am glad you are back." He looked at and smiled.

"Are all my puppets destroyed?" Hidan nodded and they looked at the Leaf shinobi.

"For this battle, let me serve as your puppet Sasori-sama." He smirked as chakra strings attached around her. She looked into Kakashi's eyes and a small smile crept onto her face. "Trust me; this is for the Leaf Village's good." Her eyes were alight with a silvery hue and Kakashi started the seals for Raikiri.


	2. Shattered Once, Twice, Three Times

Greetings readers - A shoutout to the muses Asuma, Kushina, Zetsu_Akatsuki, Uchiha_Curse, and Konan!  
Please R&R and check out my profile for more stories and an update poll.  
I do not own Naruto or "Down with the Sickness" by Disturbed.

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Chapter 2: Shattered Once, Twice, Three Times

_**Song of the Chapter:  
Down with the Sickness – Disturbed  
Reason: Moriko at first calmly accepted her fate, she was forced into it after being broken, questioned it after Sasori's death, and after his reappearance, thanks it even when she does not grasp her mentality anymore.**_

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Moriko watched as her partner for the mission was running through various seals. Meanwhile, she slipped her gloves off and the Leaf shinobi were surprised: they never saw her without her gloves and Kakashi rarely did. She looked back at Sasori and smiled. "My ninjutsu skill set and chakra reservoir remains the same and I apologize for my mediocre genjutsu skills. They most likely have deteriorated lower than Hidan's level." Hidan laughed at her while Sasori smirked.

"That is not good, but what of your taijutsu?" She cracked her knuckles but had a calm expression feeling Sasori's chakra strings tug at her body.

"My strength and speed are better now. Combined with your masterful puppetry, we shall make a perfect team despite me having no hidden weapons or armaments."

Kakashi now held a crackling bolt of lightning in his hand and watched Moriko carefully. "What the hell happened…? Just when I thought you were loyal to us…" Moriko laughed cruelly as Sasori twitched his hand and she charged. Kakashi aimed for her stomach at a juncture of where he knew was a bundle of chakra but she flipped over his head and struck his back. He grunted as he tumbled forward the slightest bit but he spun on his leg and tried to roundhouse kick her but she blocked with her arm. Immediately after that, she grabbed his leg and spun around tossing him into the building that was the rest stop that also functioned as a bounty station.

Hidan gave a low whistle as he rubbed his shoulder. "You weren't kidding about being stronger physically. I remember trying to train you and damn… you couldn't lift shit." She looked at him before smirking. She held out her hand as her eyes flashed silver for a moment and Hidan's scythe soared towards her, coil and all.

"I have had to mask some of my training and powers while they forced me to take those pesky examinations." She reached out and grabbed the scythe by its handle. Swinging it above her head, she smirked seeing the Leaf shinobi's faces full of surprise. "I will borrow this for only a moment Hidan-kun."

She charged at Kakashi while Kakuzu noticed something immediately. He turned to Sasori who had a smug look on her face. "You released the chakra strings didn't you?" He nodded and they observed as Kakashi was not attacking back at all, but merely trying to dodge the at first glance erratic looking strikes but Sasori could see what she had planned.

"She really is fighting to the best of her ability." Sasori looked at the Leaf ninja and he noted Shikamaru trying to observe her motions and determine what her strategy was. "It's useless to overanalyze this."

Shikamaru tried to ignore the taunt as he watched Moriko and Kakashi but he felt bothered. Moriko's eyes were so vivid right now and alive, almost inverse of what they had been six months ago…

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Flashback

_Moriko could not walk; at least that was what Kakashi said. Whether or not he said that just so he could hold the kunoichi longer no one decided to question. He held her closely in his arms as she was curled up, her head resting on his chest. They entered the Hokage's office, through the door this time however like they normally should. Tsunade immediately retrieved the woman out of Kakashi's grasp and put her on the desk. The minute Tsunade had her hand above Moriko's head and activated the green healing chakra, Moriko's eyes snapped wide open and she screamed._

_Everyone had covered their ears and Moriko used the distraction to jump out of the window. She ran through the streets and although the citizens in the Leaf Village recognized her, they were confused about her clothing as she never sported any black robes with red clouds before. Shikamaru was walking to find Ino and Chouji when Moriko dashed past him. On instinct, Shikamaru used his shadow possession jutsu and stopped her. He turned around making Moriko also turn around to face him. He was shocked at what he saw, her eyes were hollow and her body was quivering. "Let me go! They are going to lock my memories again like when I was five…"_

_Shikamaru raised an eyebrow and contemplated something he could say to the woman when he saw Kakashi dash towards him. "Good job Shikamaru." The copy ninja approached Moriko and Shikamaru allowed his jutsu to dissipate. Moriko allowed herself to be scooped into her friend's arms but her eyes still were glued on the shadow wielder. _

"_Un…" Kakashi stopped and looked at her in confusion of why she suddenly spoke mumbled the Rock Village accent. Shikamaru walked alongside them and Moriko seemed to calm down._

"_Her mental state is rather fragile isn't it? And Tsunade-sama's jutsu sent her over?" Kakashi nodded as they slowly headed back to the Hokage's tower. "Hmm…"_

"_She was crying over Sasori's broken body. She put up quite the fight when we tried to pull her away, she was thrashing but I used my Sharingan to calm her down." Shikamaru noticed her shivering in Kakashi's arms and Kakashi tries to whisper words of reassurance but she just looks at him with tears in her eyes._

_Things tensed up when Moriko saw yet another familiar sight. Taking advantage of all the metal weapons Kakashi had, her eyes were alight with silver as Moriko charged the familiar looking person._

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End Flashback

Asuma noted the three bladed scythe flying towards him and wondered when it was that Moriko had released the weapon or when the coil suddenly reappeared in Hidan's hands but he definitely registered the pain that although small, seemed pronounced as the blades scraped his cheek. Hidan's tongue flickered across the blades and he walked into the Jashin circle he drew while everyone was distracted.

Kakashi somersaulted and landed next to Asuma and immediately noticed the scratch. "Minor injury but you seem worried."

Asuma pointed at Hidan. "That guy just licked my blood of the scythe… I should be worried at that…"

Moriko walked calmly towards the Akatsuki members and Hidan was about to stab himself when he stopped and groaned. Kakuzu seemed irritated and Sasori rolled his eyes. Moriko was going to ask something when she stopped. "Damn… Just when I was having fun."

Hidan withdrew the pike he was going to stab himself with and groaned. "Now I have to sacrifice like twenty heathens for not taking your pathetic lives." Kakuzu walked next to him and put a hand on his shoulder in an effort to communicate the necessity of going. "Fine fine. Later bitches." In a puff, the two immortal members vanished while Sasori and Moriko remained.

"We must take our leave. Extraction begins soon and you need to look after my body Moriko-san." She nodded and he put a hand on her shoulder. As smoke enveloped the two, Kakashi saw the last thing he thought he ever would see on Moriko's face. A real, authentic smile and it was because of the puppet master.


	3. Missing Sanity

Greetings everyone...  
Wow... midterms took more out of me than I thought _  
Anyways, a shoutout to my muses Asuma, Kushina, Zetsu_Akatsuki, Uchiha_Curse, and Konan!

I do not own Naruto or "Psycho" by Puddle of Mudd

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Chapter 3: Missing Sanity

_**Song of the Chapter:  
Psycho – Puddle of Mudd  
Reason: Moriko's deterioration into a less stable mental state can only spell disaster for everyone around her as she falls in with the wrong crowd.**_

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Sasori cracked his neck and frowned feeling that unfamiliar sensation. It had been fifteen years since he had a human body to experience feelings and sensations with and he still felt out of touch with the signals his body told him. Moriko jumped up onto the rock he had been sitting in and again, Sasori's body sent him a signal the puppetmaster did not understand. His heart pumped a tad bit faster and he felt his eyes close in comfort hearing her voice. "Sasori-sama, when are you to start the demon extraction?"

The redhead felt a slight irritation that the conversation she started was so impersonal but then again, he wondered why he suddenly cared how close they were. Even now, Sasori could tell that she was only maybe a few inches away and if he twisted around, he could have her in his arms _but that would be severely out of character for the once unemotional puppet or rather former puppet._ "In a few moments. Kakuzu and Hidan are trying to find a safe location so the Leaf shinobi won't attack during the two extractions. I am very surprised those two managed to get a tailed beast or that Tobi managed to snag the three tailed beast with the brat's help."

Moriko merely nodded and Sasori found himself internally missing her emotions and even her talks about loyalty to the Leaf Village would have been welcomed. Now whatever happened to her while in the Leaf Village made her stubbornly quiet but she still made Sasori feel warmth within him. "I am sure that Deidara-san assisted Tobi-san. After all, Deidara-san managed to get a hold of the one tailed beast Shukaku just fine and restraining a demon without a host will be easier anyway." Her voice lacked excess emotion despite the semi-affectionate suffixes.

"Well…" Sasori took a meditative stance as the ritual was starting to begin. "Watch my body; two rituals at once will take a lot out of me." She nodded as she opened the pack of soldier pills she had originally packed for her mission as a Leaf shinobi. Sasori nodded seeing the soldier pills and he was reassured that he would not be totally drained.

"Of course." Sasori started to meditate and noted as he conscious started to slip away, Moriko sighed. Moriko watched Sasori nod off and she jumped down from the rock they were sitting on and she activated her kekkei genkai to extend out an electromagnetic field. She felt relieved to not feel any other shinobi as made a couple of handsigns to set some traps to protect her master's body while she was gone. She focused her powers on locating Hidan and Kakuzu to secure their bodies and upon feeling the exotic metal in Hidan's scythe tug at her conscious, she took off.

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Kakashi sat up in the hospital bed and groaned. _What happened…? That dream was so real…_ He looked at the table and saw Sakura in the chair, tired and collapsed from chakra exhaustion. _How long was I out of it?_ Kakashi held his head as he contemplated the recent events.

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Flashback

_Kakashi had just hit his eighteenth birthday when Moriko's doorbell rang. She frowned upon wondering who was coming around at such a late hour and when she opened the door, she barely managed to keep a straight face. "What do you lot want?"_

_The two fangirls definitely showed signs of being drunk as they tried to stagger in but Moriko was starting to close the door when they began to squeal in protest. "Moriko!" The civilian held her ears at the pitch. "Is Kakashi-kun there? We heard it was his eighteenth birthday and we want to give him his 'present'." Moriko's eyebrow twitched thinking of her silvery haired friend._

"_He is not here." Without another word, she slammed the door shut and slumped on her couch. Kakashi walked out of her kitchen and raised an eyebrow._

"_What's that face for?" Moriko gave a halfhearted glare before rolling her eyes._

"_Your damn fangirls." Kakashi chuckled and gave a happy eye crease. "They wanted to give you a 'present'."_

_Kakashi choked on the sake that Moriko had obtained for this miniature celebration. "What?"_

_Moriko's eyes narrowed as she poured herself a cup. "You heard me; please do not make me repeat myself as hearing it was bad enough."_

_Kakashi hummed in understanding and took another sip from the sake. Moriko's eyes snapped to his and she realized he was not wearing his mask; that and the fact that he was coming close to her. "Moriko-chan…" he embraced her and at first suspicious, her eyebrows shot up when he began to nuzzle her neck._

_Ignoring the sensations sent up and down her spine, she attempted to pry Kakashi off of her. "You are drunk if the fact you are walking around without your mask or your headband is any indication." He chuckled and began to nip at various intervals. "Kakashi, if you are trying to be funny…" she threatened but when he looked at her, she could see past the haze that had clouded his eyes. There was a sharpness that told her he was aware of the consequences his actions were having on her._

"_You know I would never hurt you right Moriko-chan?" she bit her lip as he paused in his motions to lean his forehead against hers._

_Moriko's heart began pounding as she stared into his eyes. "I know you would never hurt me Kakashi-kun." He rubbed his thumb across her lower lip and Moriko just stared with her eyes wide. Ignoring the sensations was impossible with those two eyes staring into her soul. The slightest tip of his thumb slipped into her mouth and out of instinct, her tongue traced the thumb and she lightly sucked on it as her eyelids slipped shut._

_She felt his lips near her ears and the husky tone made her heart beat even faster. "I can make you feel as good as I feel right now Moriko-chan if you let me…" The words made her eyes widen and she pushed away from him, unable to believe what her ears were telling her._

"_Kakashi-kun… why are you saying that…?" His eyes drifted to hers and he instinctively knew that coming towards her would most likely be a poor decision._

"_I have a mission in a couple of days." She raised a raven eyebrow and they both sat on her couch, her holding his hands._

"_You are a shinobi Kakashi-kun; you always have missions." He gave a sad smile as he sighed._

"_It is a seduction mission." Moriko's eyes widened and she looked away for a second._

"_You could always find someone… to help you with that." He looked at her as if she had sprouted a second head and tightened the grasp he had on her hands._

"_I know it is just sex but I don't want my first time to be with a fangirl or with the wife of a crime lord." Moriko looked up at him and saw exactly how sober and serious he was. She put a hand on his face and he leaned into her touch._

"_This is a dangerous mission?" He maintained eye contact as he nodded. "What was the rank thing?"_

"_S Rank mission." Moriko's eyes widened as the seriousness of the words hit her._

"_So… how difficult is this mission?"_

"_Exponentially above an A Rank mission. This mission is very life threatening." She bit her lip and looked away to try to hide the worry in her eyes._

"_Why are you taking such a dangerous mission?" He chuckled but his civilian friend did not find the humor._

"_I am a ninja Moriko-chan; danger is what I am, what I live for. Protecting the Leaf Village is my duty and I have no qualms about sacrificing everything to save what I hold dear." Moriko's eyes dimmed with understanding as she turned away._

"_This lifestyle prevents you from enjoying the life that normal civilians like me has… Do you not have regrets?" He gave her a sad smile and kissed her forehead gently._

"_I live everyday with regrets; you know that." She nodded and Kakashi began to kiss gently down her jaw line. "I don't want to do something you will regret however."_

_Moriko scoffed as she kissed Kakashi on the lips. "It is my choice to determine what I do and do not regret and with you, what regrets are to be had?"_

_He smiled and his hands moved to the buttons on her shirt. "We shall do this right then…"_

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End Flashback

Moriko shook herself out of the dream that she had fallen into and she frowned. _I had not thought of that night for… a long time._ She looked up and saw Sasori still in mediation for extraction; his stance not disturbed in the slightest by Moriko's movements. She ran a hand through her raven locks and looked up at the clouds. "Am I being punished for trying to do what is best?" _I no longer want to give this up… I do not want to give up anything anymore. I do not want to give him up._ She brushed some of Sasori's hair out of his eyes and instinctively he leaned into her touch. _I am a criminal now or rather… involved with a criminal._


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